The RSPCA is appealing for information after a kitten was found with its head stuck to a glue trap and mouth glued together.

The kitten , who is around four-weeks-old was taken to Putney Animal Hospital after RSPCA Inspector Nick Wheelhouse responded to a call from a member of the public reporting a collapsed kitten on Saturday, July 22.

Olive oil had been used on the kitten by the concerned finders, in an attempt to remove her from the trap.

The legal traps, which are also known as glue boards or sticky boards, are made up of a sheet of cardboard, plastic or wood and coated with non-drying adhesive.

The kitten, who has since been named Dobby, was found to be extremely hypothermic upon arrival to hospital where she was bathed in a warm solution to warm her up and to remove the remaining glue.

"What happened to Dobby is just another example of why we have concerns for the use of glue traps." said Mr Wheelhouse.

"These cruel traps are indiscriminate and cause unnecessary suffering to animals with everything from snakes, robins, owls and kittens.

"The public should be made aware of the risk these horrific devices pose to non-target species.

"Sadly, many animals, especially birds, have to be euthanised because the damage done is just too great.

"It is not a humane trap for any animal as they are not killed outright and have to undergo prolonged periods of distress before they are then found and dispatched.

"Poor little Dobby is just another unnecessary victim of this cruel contraption which causes horrific suffering."

The traps are coated with non-drying adhesive

Dobby has now been transferred to the care of RSPCA Tunbridge Wells and Maidstone, where she will be hand-reared.

As part of its two-year-old Wild Animals and Glue Traps project, the RSPCA is renewing calls for anyone with details relating to the sale of glue traps to contact them.

The charity, which aims to prevent cruelty to animals, says the traps should only be used by trained operators and retailers should not be selling them to the general public.

As part of the project, the charity act upon information from the public and write to retailers, encouraging them to consider stopping the sale of glue traps, it is a project which has been particularly successful with online retailer, Amazon.

RSPCA scientific information officer, Llewelyn Lowen, said: "We’re opposed to the manufacture, sale and use of all glue traps because they cause unacceptable suffering and are totally indiscriminate in what they catch.

"Glue traps may seem like an effective way to catch rodents without killing them, but they come with very serious welfare issues and subject those animals unfortunate enough to get caught to horrific suffering.

"Even the way they’re designed to catch animals – by sticking their limbs to the board as they cross it – inflicts pain and distress.

"Once the poor animal is stuck, they begin to struggle to free themselves, and in doing so, more and more parts of their body become trapped in the glue.

"In their increasing panic and desperation to escape, rats and mice have been found to tear patches of their fur out, break bones, and even gnaw their own limbs off in a bid to be free."

The charity urges anyone with concerns about an animal, to call it on 0300 1234 999, to wait for assistance and avoid attempting to free an animal stuck in a snare or trap.

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